Pioneer DJ Controllers Buyer’s Guide

The Pioneer DJ Division has been a leader in DJ Equipment manufacturing for many years now. They’ve recently applied their Professional DJ knowledge gained from their industry-leading CDJ CD turntable production and Pioneer Mixers towards the new DJ Controller market that has taken the DJ-world by storm. Pioneer DJ has an assortment of controllers available to suit DJ’s of all different skill-levels, price-points, and overall Playback Needs. Let’s explore the key points of each controller to see which one is right for you.

The Pioneer DJ Division's new Flagship Serato DJ controller called the Pioneer DDJ-SZ retains many of the features and functions of the widely popular DDJ-SX, while adding more real estate for a bigger and more professional footprint, bigger full "CDJ-sized" jog wheels, Multi-Color Backlit Performance Pads, Dual USB Ports for seamless transitions, a magnetic MAGVEL crossfader, and a full-blown DJM mixer section with Sound Color FX and DVS capability.

The Pioneer DDJ-SX2 is the latest update from the popular DDJ-SX. This edition features everything that made the original a best seller while adding some features from the flagship DDJ-SZ like multi-colored performance pads with velocity sensitivity, on-jog cue point markers, and improved jog wheel reaction time. Perfect for the mobile or club DJ looking for all the functionality of a pro rig in a more compact footprint.

The Pioneer DDJ-SR is a compact and professional Digital DJ Controller that fits nicely within the new Pioneer DDJ controller range as a trimmed down two-deck version of the DDJ-SX2 which is still capable of controlling all four virtual decks of Serato DJ. The new Pioneer DDJ-SR has a smaller footprint than the DDJ-SX2 and adds a new PAD PLUS button that gives the 16-performance pads even more functions than before. The DDJ-SR is idea for the beginning to intermediate DJ who doesn’t necessarily need all the additional functionality but still wants a quality controller at a great price.

Pioneer DJ has released their newest beginner/intermediate-level Digital DJ controller for their Serato lineup called the DDJ-SB. This new, compact, and USB-powered controller has the familiar 16 Performance Pads, Slip-Mode, built-in Low Pass/High Pass filter knobs, and comes bundled with Serato DJ Intro to get users started. The DDJ-SB is a great addition to the more powerful DDJ-SX and DDJ-SR that comes at a lower price while still maintaining lots of the features and functions that are found on the pricier models. It also has a new Filter Fade mode button that allows DJ's to crossfade music while simultaneously implementing a High-Pass filter. Finally, the DDJ-SB still includes the familiar aluminum top jog wheels, hot cues, loop controls, effects, and sample controls right in a layout similar to the higher-end Pioneer models.

The Pioneer XDJ-AERO is a new stand-alone Digital DJ mixstation that can be used in many different ways and in different combinations all on the fly. The Pioneer XDJ-AERO is a two-deck digital DJ MIDI/HID controller that can work with almost any DJ software of your choice. Unlike other models however it can function as a true standalone two channel DJ mixer ( no laptop needed) by playing audio files directly from on-board USB flash/hard drives. Furthermore the AERO can even transfer audio files wirelessly between up to four different Wi-Fi enabled devices that are running the Rekordbox Pioneer DJ library software. All of these functions can be performed on each deck individually meaning the DJ has the choice of using the XDJ-AERO in hybrid mode to mix between different tracks in different modes. The XDJ-AERO is a solid all-in-one mixstation that gives DJ’s so many playback options that it can be used in many different setups in many different ways. I recommend the Pioneer XDJ-AERO to DJ’s who need this level of versatility (with or without a computer) and don’t want to be boxed into one way of playing music.